Manmohan, Wen talk ‘aam admi’, exchange copies of book

New York, Sep 24 (IANS) Call it book diplomacy if you like. In a warm gesture of friendship, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday presented to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a signed book containing the speeches by the two leaders on inclusive globalization and development. The Chinese premier, who enjoys a personal rapport with Manmohan Singh, also shared China’s experience in inclusive development.

They signed their respective copy and exchanged it, Foreign Secretary Shivhankar Menon told reporters after the meeting between the two leaders at New York Palace Hotel.

The book, published by Cambridge University Press, contains the speech delivered by Manmohan Singh on inclusive globalization at the Cambridge University a couple of years ago and Wen’s recent speech at Singapore University on inclusive development.

They also discussed “similar approaches” to major global issues and shared their experience in inclusive development and inclusive globalization. Both India and China, rising economic powers, are facing the growing spectre of economic inequality and are trying to put aam admi (common man) at the centre of their development process.

The book diplomacy set a positive tone for the first meeting between the two leaders after the NSG waiver in Vienna last month. China’s perceived role in the NSG had threatened to strain bilateral ties, but India has since then sought to put behind it this issue in the interests of better relations.

This was the seventh meeting in the last four-and-a-half years between the two leaders who share a personal rapport.